Foodsmart Taps Value-Care Pioneer to Scale 'Food as Medicine' Push

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – March 18, 2026 – Telenutrition provider Foodsmart has appointed Dr. Toyin Ajayi, the influential co-founder and CEO of Cityblock Health, to its Board of Directors in a move that signals a significant deepening of its strategy to embed nutrition into the core of American healthcare, particularly for Medicaid populations.

The appointment is more than a high-profile addition; it represents a strategic fusion of expertise at a critical moment. As the "food as medicine" movement gains powerful momentum, fueled by federal policy shifts and growing recognition of nutrition's role in managing chronic disease, Foodsmart is positioning itself to lead the charge. Dr. Ajayi brings a formidable track record of building and scaling value-based care models that serve the nation's most complex and underserved patients, an experience that directly aligns with Foodsmart's ambition to operationalize "foodcare" at a national scale.

A Strategic Play for the Medicaid Frontier

Foodsmart's move comes as the market for digital nutrition solutions is experiencing explosive growth, with some projections estimating the global digital dietitian market will surpass $6 billion by 2034. The company, which already serves over three million members through partnerships with health plans and employers, is making a clear play for the vast and challenging Medicaid market. This is a landscape where diet-related chronic conditions are rampant and where the potential for cost savings through preventive care is enormous.

State and federal policies are increasingly creating a fertile ground for this expansion. Following the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has shown increased support for nutrition interventions. States like California and North Carolina are leveraging Medicaid Section 1115 waivers to pilot programs that cover medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions, creating new reimbursement pathways for services like those Foodsmart provides.

This is precisely where Dr. Ajayi's expertise becomes invaluable. At Cityblock Health, she has been a chief architect of a model that thrives on value-based contracts with health plans, where payment is tied to improved health outcomes and reduced total cost of care, not the volume of services. Her deep experience in navigating these complex agreements and demonstrating a clear return on investment for high-need populations will be crucial as Foodsmart seeks to expand its partnerships with Medicaid Managed Care Organizations.

"As Medicaid programs and health plans are increasingly accountable for total cost of care and health equity outcomes, nutrition can no longer sit outside the clinical model," said Kurt Knight, CEO of Foodsmart, in a statement. He noted that Dr. Ajayi's perspective will "accelerate our ability to deliver better health outcomes at lower cost."

The Architect of Equitable Care

Dr. Ajayi is a nationally recognized leader whose career has been defined by a relentless focus on health equity. Before co-founding Cityblock, she served as Chief Medical Officer at Commonwealth Care Alliance, a payer-provider system for dual-eligible members in Massachusetts. In both roles, she has championed integrated care models that address the social determinants of health—such as housing, transportation, and food security—alongside clinical needs.

Her work is built on the understanding that for millions of Americans, a prescription or a doctor's visit is only one piece of the puzzle. Without access to healthy food, that clinical advice often remains an abstraction. This philosophy is at the heart of her decision to join Foodsmart's board.

"Too many patients living with complex medical and social needs struggle to access the nutrition support that could fundamentally change their health trajectory," Dr. Ajayi stated. "Foodsmart is operationalizing foodcare at scale, connecting clinically grounded nutrition care to people's real lives. That's essential for advancing health equity and delivering meaningful outcomes in Medicaid and other high-need populations."

Her appointment is a powerful endorsement of Foodsmart's mission and a signal that the company is committed to tackling the root causes of health disparities, not just the symptoms. It reflects a shared belief that true healthcare innovation must bridge the gap between the clinic and the community.

Nutrition as the Next Pillar of Value-Based Care

Foodsmart's strategic maneuver is a case study in a broader industry trend: the evolution of value-based care to include a more holistic view of patient health. As healthcare systems strain under the weight of chronic disease, payers and providers are realizing that investing in non-clinical services like nutrition can yield substantial long-term savings. Foodsmart's own studies have demonstrated savings of up to $58 per member per month and measurable improvements in key health indicators like HbA1c levels and obesity rates.

While competitors like Season Health and Nourish are also making inroads in the telenutrition space, Foodsmart has differentiated itself with a comprehensive "foodcare" platform. The model integrates its national network of registered dietitians with a benefits management system and a food marketplace, creating a seamless experience from clinical referral to the dinner table.

This integrated approach is what industry leaders believe will define the next generation of healthcare. Frank Williams, Executive Chairman of Foodsmart and former CEO of Evolent Health, praised Dr. Ajayi as a "proven leader and a trusted voice in the world of value-based care." He added, "Her experience delivering holistic care to underserved populations will be invaluable as we continue to deliver a comprehensive, industry leading foodcare platform to our payer and provider partners."

By bringing Dr. Ajayi into its inner circle, Foodsmart is not just adding a new board member; it is absorbing the DNA of one of the most successful value-based care ventures in the country. This move fortifies its position to prove that food, when prescribed and delivered with the same rigor as medicine, is a powerful tool for transforming population health.